


The Guinea Pig Reproductive Cycle

by emmaliza



Category: Blake's 7
Genre: (sort of), Angst, Backstory, Dysfunctional Family, Gen, Implied/Referenced Animal Abuse, Implied/Referenced Child Sexual Abuse, Politics, Pre-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-25
Updated: 2020-02-25
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:41:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22893475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emmaliza/pseuds/emmaliza
Summary: Del loves his pet guinea pig, and has no reason to doubt his older brother.Or, how politics drives the Tarrant family apart.
Kudos: 9





	The Guinea Pig Reproductive Cycle

When Del is twelve years old, he gets a guinea pig. Something to do with Dev's work, apparently – Del has always wanted a pet, but his mother always told him what a bureaucratic nightmare it would be to get that past the Federation authorities, and it wasn't worth the trouble. He would have preferred a puppy, but still, he's over the moon.

Deeta insists on playing with it first, as the older twin, which is _not_ fair, but Dev puts a comforting hand on his shoulder as he folds his arms and sulks. “You'll get your turn soon, little brother.” He gives a small smile. There's always been a sort of cold hardness to Dev, ever more so since he graduated and got recruited into whatever it is he does, but Del thinks his older brother cares about them. He wouldn't come home with a new pet otherwise, right?

Five years later, Del arrives home from training one day and learns Starburst died in the day, while he was out. She wasn't even sick. But he doesn't think to question it. That's how long guinea pigs live, isn't it?

* * *

Del is going to be a Federation captain. It's family tradition. His mother worries he'll get himself blown up by an asteroid on the edge of the galaxy like his father did, but Del isn't afraid of death. He believes utterly in the glory and nobility of the service. And the fact it pays better than any other job is also something to recommend it.

He knows he's good, also, the best in his class. He's a shoo-in for the FSA. The only person better than him is Deeta, because of course he is.

They're both more _physical_ than Dev ever was, it must be said. Dev was always more the intellectual brother. Whatever he does these days – they really don't know much about it, apparently it's all very hush-hush – Del can't imagine it involves much daring flying, shooting rebels out of the skies with lasercanon like a Space Hero from one of his comic books. So one of them ought to take that job.

Speaking of Dev, they don't see that much of him anymore. He spends so much time in the Outer Galaxy. He does come back for Del and Deeta's birthday, so Mum can make them all a nice dinner. Dev can't tell them much about his work, but he's does say he should be up for promotion soon. “If I can pull this off.”

Del is a little annoyed that, just by having disappeared most of the year, Dev can get all the attention on _his_ (and Deeta's, he guesses) birthday, and so he starts talking about himself instead, about his test scores and how he pulled a perfect run in the flight simulator and how his supervisor is considering putting him straight into the academy after this year. Deeta seems amused by his showboating, while Dina rolls her eyes at him. She does that a lot. _Middle child syndrome,_ she always says, which is a bit too much insight for a thirteen year old thank you.

* * *

The night after Dev has to leave them again, Del wakes up to Deeta rummaging through their room in the middle of the night. “What are you doing?” he murmurs, sleepy, thinking at worst he's caught Deeta in the middle of a stupid trick (which is really more his forte, or Dina's, than Deeta's) and, plan foiled, he'll promptly go back to bed.

Instead Deeta stares at him, and bluntly says: “Leaving.”

That wakes Del up. He sits upright to see Deeta, fully dressed, suitcase packed and ready on his bed. Del is baffled. “What? Why? Where are you going?”

There's a pause, and Deeta sighs. “I don't know,” he admits. “But I'm a good shot and a good pilot, and they always need those on the outer worlds.”

_The outer worlds?_ Del's head is starting to spin. “That doesn't answer my other question,” he snaps, a childish hurt filling his voice.

Deeta seems to getting annoyed with him, and his refusal to get it. That's not fair. What is there to get? “Del, we're not safe here.”

“What?”

“Don't you understand? Dev's in the secret service.” Yes, Del had more or less figured that out, he's not that dumb. But what does that have to do with anything? “And being a service agent's loved one is the most dangerous job on Terra.”

“Well _I've_ never been interested in a safe, cushy job,” he responds, petulant, before he really thinks what Deeta is telling him through. Is it? Del can think of dozens of jobs he'd say were more dangerous. “Come on, Deeta, I know you're not a coward. What are you afraid of? That some petty rebel will attack you to get to him?”

“No.”

Silence. Slowly, Del picks up on what his twin is really afraid of. “...Dev would never hurt us,” he says, disbelieving. How could Deeta even think that? “He's cold but he's not...” _a monster._

Deeta sighs again. “I'm not sure he'll have much of a choice,” he says. “Look, you know Dev. He's very smart and he's very ambitious.” _Yes._ Del always thought those were his most admirable qualities. “He's only going to keep going up the ladder. And the further he goes, the more important it is that he be loyal to the Federation, completely loyal. That he prove that loyalty. That he put it ahead of anything, even us.”

_But why should he have to?_ Del wonders. He's perfectly loyal to the Federation – at least, he's never thought to be disloyal. He's going to be a Federation captain, isn't he?

Del, barely seventeen, isn't sure he's old enough to understand all this. Deeta is only fifteen minutes older than him, but in this moment, those fifteen minutes feel like a lifetime.

Deeta sits on the edge of his bed, warm and comforting, every inch the big brother. Del can't help but loathe him for it. “Come with me,” he says.

“What? No!” Del is appalled. “I'm going to be a Federation captain, I'm the best pilot they've seen in years, I've got a future ahead of me. I'm not throwing that away because of your paranoia!”

In a huff, he pulls the covers back over himself and curls up to sleep. Deeta swallows audibly. “Fine,” he says, softly, and gets up to grab his things. “Are you going to rat me out?”

Del keeps his eyes stubbornly closed. He _could._ Maybe his shouting will have woken everyone in the house anyway. Maybe he should alert the authorities, tell them to be on the lookout for an unauthorised departure.

But that would raise the question of why Deeta's leaving, but that under official scrutiny, and Del can't do that to his own brother.

“No. Go if you want,” he mutters sullenly. “I don't care.”

Deeta walks out and Del spends the rest of the night awake, fretting. He's not really going to leave, is he? No, he'll realise how stupid this is and come back. He has to. When have they ever been apart before?

But when Del rises in the morning, exhausted and too sick to eat, sure enough, Deeta's not there.

* * *

After that it is him, Mother and Dina in their chambers, and Mother is even less eager to see him go be a space captain; with one son fled and the other halfway across the galaxy most of the time, she doesn't want to risk losing yet another of her boys. Del can't blame her for that.

(Technically, Deeta _hasn't_ fled. He applied through the proper channels to immigrate to the outer worlds, he was on a waiting list for three months, and he never told them. Del thought you needed guardian approval to do that under eighteen. But Deeta isn't a fugitive – yet.)

Dina is furious about the situation. “How could he just leave us like that!” She stomps her foot at the unfairness of it all. “How could he be so selfish?! He didn't even say goodbye!”

Del does feel a little guilty, not telling her that Deeta did say goodbye, to him at least, but he reasons that's not going to make her feel any better. It's strange for him to be the big brother, the one who has to protect her, but he's trying. And it would raise the question of why Deeta said he was leaving, and Del doesn't want to drag Dev into this. Not if he doesn't have to.

He really ought to be as mad as Dina, but he can't manage it. Whenever he tries to be angry at Deeta for being selfish and paranoid, he gets an uneasy feeling in his stomach. It's not like he doesn't trust Dev. But he hasn't messaged them at all since Deeta left – does he know? Does he care?

Anyway, Del has no intention of giving up his plans because of what his brother's done, no matter how his mother feels about it. He knows he's one of the best pilots in the system, it would be a waste to give up on his potential. He wants to be a hero. It's not fair that he should have to change because of what his brothers have done.

(He catches Mother slumped over the sink one day, repeating to herself “he's gone to the outer worlds, he's gone to the outer worlds.” He doesn't know what to make of that.)

And this is what he's been working for all his life. If he were to give up now, what would he do?

* * *

Politics has never interested him. Call him shallow, but he can't be bothered following the back-and-forth of the faceless bureaucrats who run them. He believes the government knows what it's doing, more or less.

He's just passed his academy exams when the Blake case bursts wide open. Del is vaguely aware of who he is. A rebel leader, who's been sowing dissent and speaking up against the Federation. Those are a dime a dozen. Usually they realise the errors of the way, and abruptly move to the outer worlds. Probably the best way of handling it if you don't like things on Earth. Del is just thrilled to officially be a Federation Space Academy cadet, and so isn't paying much attention to anything else that might be happening in the wider world.

But Blake realises the error of his ways a bit _dramatically._ They see him on the mass broadcasts, with a dead look in his eyes, telling people to round up the traitors. That seems a little much. Del wouldn't call people going to meetings about how they should let the outer worlds secede and spreading silly conspiracy theories about suppressants in the water _traitors_. How does anyone change their mind that quickly?

Then Dev shows back up.

They're not warned about it, and of course they're all thrilled to see him. He doesn't mention Deeta, and so neither to they. Everyone's very worried about traitors right now, and while Del knows Deeta isn't that, he's perilously close to it.

Dev can't talk about his work directly, of course not, but he does say he's been on a long-term project for awhile, and he's pulled it off with aplomb. “I'm a shoo-in for that promotion,” he says, sounding very proud of himself.

Del doesn't want to start drawing connections. He's sure he's being paranoid. But he does wonder, if Dev has been on the edge of the galaxy for so long, how did he get back so quickly?

But it doesn't matter. Blake promptly disappears after his big confession, and Dev returns to his work, and so that gives Del a good excuse not to think about it for a few more years.

* * *

The Federation Space Academy course takes about five years, or four if you're a prodigy, which Del likes to think he is. He gets four years focusing on his career, and is so close to his captainship he can almost taste it.

Four years is how long it takes for the Blake case to come back in a big way.

_So, the man's a child molester._ And Del has no real reason to doubt that. He doesn't know Roj Blake, but there's no reason to be surprised that any man who would make himself a figure of authority like that might have ulterior motives. It's convenient, that one of the Federation's nuisances would discredit himself so, but many things in life are convenient, right?

And yet, something about the whole matter itches in Del's brain, no matter how much he tries to make it stop. If Blake was touching kids, surely the government would have known about it years ago? Attending the academy has given him a much better idea of how much surveillance they actually have. And if they already knew, why not try him four years past, when he first became a problem? That seems much simpler than getting him to denounce his whole movement and call them traitors.

Then Dev returns.

It's been _years,_ and Mum and Dina are so thrilled they don't even stop to think about how long it's been. But Del does. He can't not. It's been four years, exactly as long as it's been since Roj Blake was last in the news. He wishes he could believe that was just coincidence, but... He thinks about what Deeta said. _Being a service agent's loved one is the most dangerous job on Terra._ And Del knows Dev hasn't done a thing to him, but he's starting to feel threatened.

When he gives his big brother a welcoming hug, he smells something metallic on him – blood, or gunpowder? Or maybe he's just being paranoid. Don't they all use laser weapons, anyway?

* * *

Luckily for him, all the Federation's premier academies are right next to each other, on Earth anyway. It's easy enough for him to sneak in among the computer freaks next door, start poking about and asking questions. He finds a fellow named Adrien, whose classmates say he's the best around. Del asks if he can get into the justice files. Adrien seems appalled, and, alright, maybe Del leans on him a bit. Mentions he has a brother in the secret service who wouldn't be pleased if an over-promoted beta was making life difficult for their family. There's an irony to it, and Del does feel bad, but he reasons he's acting for the greater good, and it's not like he'd ever do anything to this poor fellow anyway.

They don't find much. The justice files are top security, and even Adrien can't crack those codes. They do find though that whatever evidence there was against Blake, it was entered whole and untampered with, and Del can't tell if that's a relief or not.

“Can I go now?” Adrien asks, sounding exhausted with his flights of fancy. And Del should consider his questions answered and let it go, but he's too damn stubborn for that. Desperate, he tells Adrien to look in the medical files instead.

Luckily, those are on a lower security clearance than the justice files, they're easier to crack. And they find three children admitted on the same day. Alright, nothing terribly unusual about that. Children are vulnerable. But then Adrien cross-references those with the justice files, and finds the code numbers – the names are all blanked out at this level – are also in that system. Huh. Alright. Those three children have also been witnesses at a trial.

_Well, child sexual abuse can leave injuries,_ Del tells himself. But it doesn't make sense. They wouldn't all be admitted on the same day, would they? All of this seems much too neat and tidy.

He doesn't know what it is he thinks happened. But something is very, very wrong.

* * *

He heads home and, funnily enough, Dev is right there. That's enough to raise anyone's suspicions. “I need to talk to you.”

He jumps when that cold, hard voice fills his ears, but he tries not to let it show. He's been trained not to panic in a crisis. “Dev,” he says, as if the man is any old acquaintance, and not the brother almost a decade his senior who he's barely seen for almost a decade too. “Where are Mum and Dina?”

Dev's eyebrow quirks upward vaguely. “I told them I got a bonus with my promotion, and said they should go buy themselves something nice.” Del smiles. Yes, that's what he'd do if he wanted to get rid of them for awhile. “We need to talk.”

“Do we? Oh.” Del can feel himself tensing up, heart leaping in his chest. He won't let it show though. He suspects Dev would be disappointed if he did. “Is that why you're still here? I thought you were on your way back to the outer galaxy.”

Dev doesn't give him any answers there, just lets another couple of seconds tick by before he moves on to what he wants to say. “I know you've been prying into the Blake case.”

_Oh. Adrien must have sold me out._ Del supposes he can't hold it against a guy he coerced into listening to him, but still. He turns around, avoiding Dev's cold eye. “So what if I did?” he asks, trying hard not to let his voice leap a whole octave upward. “I'm going to be a Federation captain, after all. Shouldn't I learn about the system I mean to serve?”

“You ought to be careful, little brother.” Dev approaches him slowly, carefully. Del can't help but think he looks like a predator stalking his prey. “Remember our father. He was a Federation hero. He never questioned orders. We should follow his example.”

His father died when an asteroid hit his ship on the edge of space, when he was only six years old, when Dina was not quite two, and yes, Del has never questioned that – but suddenly he wants to. “And what about Deeta?” he asks, and feels a smug pride at how Dev flinches. “He went running as soon as you were in the service. He knew something the rest of us didn't.”

“ _Be careful._ ”

“No!” Del has never been careful in his life, and he has no intention of starting now. “I have questions. How did you get back so quickly, if you're meant to spend most of your time on the edge of the galaxy? What do you have to do with the Blake case? And why would the Federation give you a pet guinea pig anyway?”

Dev grabs him by the arm, fingers digging in hard enough to make him gasp. Hard enough to leave bruises. “You don't know what you're talking about,” he murmurs, while Del struggles pointlessly against him.

No, he doesn't. But he wants to. That why he went looking. _Starburst._ He hasn't thought about her in ages, because she was just a silly animal – a stupid useless lump of fur and fat, but she was the only pet he's ever owned, and he loved her. He had her for five years, and then Dev told her she was dead, and then he...

What does he think Dev did to poor Starburst? Killed her? But why? All he knows is, if his bosses told him to, Dev would do it. Without a doubt.

When Del realises he's not going to escape his brother's grip without a fight, he stills himself, and Dev's grasp loosens slightly. He gives Del a very hard look. “As I said, you ought to be careful. You and I both know you're one of the best pilots this planet has seen in years. It would be a shame to throw all that away.”

Del stiffens in turn, and tries his best to seem proud and implacable. He's just as tall as his older brother, after all. “Are you threatening me?” he asks, and his voice drops an octave there. He wants to seem older than he is.

“I'm _warning_ you.”

Silence falls between them, a stalemate, and slowly, Dev lets go of his arm. As he's starting to wander out, he speaks up again. “Don't think you're going to be a hero,” he says. “You don't have what it takes. I've read your academy report, you know – they say you're spoiled, entitled, and a bully.” Del winces slightly, but then makes himself smile. Of course Dev has read his confidential assessment. Why should he even be surprised? “You're a very good pilot, but that's all. Don't push yourself beyond your limits, brother.”

“And how would you know?” Del asks, which seems to catch Dev off-guard. That's good. “You've barely seen me for eight years, you have no idea what I'm capable of. You chose the Federation over us long ago.”

“No.” Dev holds his ID pass toward the door to open it. “If I had chosen the Federation over you, believe me, you would know.” A pause. “I hope you won't make me do that.”

* * *

He doesn't tell Mum and Dina about what happened. How could he? He doesn't even know he understands what happened. But it keeps burning at the back of his mind, driving him to the brink of madness. Roj Blake gets sent off to a prison colony, and Del can't avoid the thought he's meant to do something, but he doesn't know what.

He turns twenty two near the end of his course, and Dina is eager to plan a birthday celebration for him. “It must be nice not having to share anymore, huh?” she asks, as they're sat on the couch watching vizfilms together.

Del gives her a curious look. “You're still very angry at him, aren't you?”

There's no need for him to explain who he's talking about. Dina gives him a pained look. “He left us.” She's almost eighteen now, not really a child, and yet Del still wants to look after her.

“Maybe he had good reasons.”

“I don't care!” That makes it all sound so simple. “Whatever it was, it can't have been worth leaving us behind. We're his family. What could possibly be more important than that?”

_What indeed._ Del feels the bruises on his arm pulse in response – although that was months ago now, the bruises have long faded, that's definitely a trick of the mind. He wonders what she would do if he told her everything he knows. If he asked her the same thing Deeta once asked him – _come with me,_ if he decided to break out of this world that seems determined to tear their family apart.

But he doubts she'd believe him. She'd think he was mad, and paranoid, and trying too hard to understand why Deeta disappeared on them out of nowhere. Family means more than anything to Dina. She'd never believe what he thinks Dev has done.

He wraps an arm around her and kisses her, gently, on the temple. He plays her big strong protective older brother as long as he possibly can.

* * *

Captain Del Tarrant passes his exams and like that, he's in the Space Fleet. He's appointed Lieutenant on a ship, and maybe that's a bit fast but everyone knows how extraordinary his test results have been and, with Blake out there trying Federation authority to its very limits, the Federation needs all the talent in the skies that it can get.

And so Tarrant's gotten everything he ever wanted, or is well on his way there, but it feels empty, feels hollow, feels like there's something he needs to do that he isn't right now.

He always wanted to be a Space Hero, for the honour and the glory, for the thought of people revering his name – he never thought of what he wanted to be a hero _for._ He never thought there may be something he, morally, could not abide, and he would have to be brave to strike against.

This ship has escape shuttles, escape routes in an emergency. Del could flee if that's what he really wanted.

He thinks of himself, Dev, Deeta and Dina – maybe they were never meant to be together. Maybe the Tarrant family was always meant to be forced apart.

Tarrant watches the Earth as their ship leaves it. The question is, is he ever coming back?


End file.
